Manager/ Senior Manager (Strategic Planning, Child Development), ECDA/CD

The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) is the regulatory and developmental agency for the early childhood sector in Singapore, jointly overseen by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). We oversee children's development below the age of seven across kindergartens and childcare centres, spanning quality standards, professional development, programme affordability, and early intervention services. You will be part of the Strategic Planning team within the Child Development Division, which oversees a continuum of programmes and drives initiatives to support the development of young children aged six and below with developmental needs, as well as children from low-income families, to ensure a good start for every child. The team leads strategic and resource planning, monitors trends and performance, and drives the design and review of service models to ensure that services remain effective, accessible, and affordable. You will work closely with internal teams, research partners, hospitals, social service agencies, and other government agencies to translate policy directions into actionable plans and ensure that services meet the evolving needs of our target client groups. Strategic Planning • Monitor, analyse and synthesise trends in the profile and needs of children with developmental needs and children from low-income families, identifying gaps in programme coverage and translating these insights into planning recommendations for the division. • Conduct environment scanning to track policy shifts, research developments, technology and AI advancements, and sector trends locally and internationally, distilling these into actionable inputs for the division's planning agenda. • Partner with internal divisions to ensure that assessment tools and referral criteria remain fit for purpose, and also ensure that messaging on strategic initiatives is clear, consistent and well-timed across internal and external audiences. Resource Planning and Performance Monitoring • Conduct demand projections, waitlist analysis and supply modelling, incorporating geospatial analysis to map service demand and supply for early intervention services across regions. Translate findings into clear recommendations on capacity requirements to ensure sufficient provision over the short and long term. • Identify manpower and capability needs arising from service and demand projections, and work with divisions to incorporate these into sector manpower and capability development initiatives. • Support annual work planning and performance reporting cycles, including developing and maintaining programme-level dashboards, tracking progress against strategic targets and proactively surfacing gaps for action. Programme Design and Review • Lead or support the design, review and refinement of EI service models and programmes, including piloting new approaches to improve accessibility and outcomes for children and families. • Work closely with research and evaluation partners to develop evaluation frameworks, interpret findings, and translate insights into recommendations for programme refinement or scaling. • Drive the development of new initiatives, including articulating proposals, securing funding and approvals, coordinating across internal teams and external stakeholders to ensure smooth implementation. Engagement of key partners and stakeholders • Build and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders across government, service providers, healthcare institutions, social service agencies and research partners, to support effective policy development and programme implementation. • Engage service providers, parents and sector partners through structured consultations, focus groups and regular touchpoints to gather insights on emerging needs, operational challenges and ground feedback, and incorporate these into planning recommendations. • A degree in any discipline, with at least 3 to 5 years …